This assignment will critically evaluate theories of risk, and consider the approaches to practice for the role of a local authority social worker in the identification, assessment and management of risk of social work with children, young people and families. There will be consideration given to the impact of social work practice on service users and carers including my understanding of anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.
The idiom ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’ is a definitive climax of the dilemmas that social workers are faced with daily within their professional role. It could be argued that in reference to the culmination of tragedies reported by the media, more prevalently in the death of children, for example Peter Connolly namely (Baby P), social workers are perceived by the public extremely negatively.
It could be said that the general public lack the understanding of what the social work role truly involves. And the media contribute to this by highlighting the failings. It could be argued that ‘people fear what they do not understand’ as reported online in the (Guardian, 2010). Hence social workers are ‘Damned if they do and damned if they don’t’
The Children Act 1989, states local authority social workers are required to support and work with parents and carers to meet the needs of their children; promoting their welfare whilst safeguarding them from harm (Howarth, 2010). What this means practically for social workers is the continual dealing with the balancing of ‘care’ versus ‘control’ Thus this is not always welcomed and social workers are perceived as interfering.
Local authority social workers are guided by the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (Department of Health et al, 2000), which will be discussed in more detail later. This is based on the ecological model, which emphasise the importance of understanding the world of the child. This process involves
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